Statuesque
by welshie
Summary: House wins an award. Wilson has to make sure House goes to the ceremony to collect it. House/Wilson.
1. Just Doing My Job

Title: Statuesque

Disclaimer: Sadly neither House or Wilson belong to me.

Summary: House wins an award. Wilson has to make sure House goes to the ceremony to collect it. House/Wilson.

A/N: In the UK, there is a national newspaper which holds an annual 'Pride of Britain' award ceremony. The event is televised and celebrities hand out awards to people who work for the local community etc. I took that as the basis for this fic.

Mention of season 2 episode 'Autopsy'. This fic is set around the beginning of season 4.

Any reviews/comments will be gratefully received! Thanks!

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Chapter One: Just Doing My Job

Wilson was hoping for a quiet, uneventful work day. He didn't have any appointments with patients and only one departmental meeting in the afternoon. He had barely sat down at his desk, only glancing at the large stack of mail in front of him before the phone rang. On the other end of the phone was a harried sounding Cuddy, who instructed him to see her as soon as possible. He wasn't sure why he had been summoned to Cuddy's office, but he guessed that it had something to do with House. Wilson decided to go via the cafeteria to get himself a cup of coffee. It was far too early in the morning to deal with damage limitation without any caffeine in his system. He headed into her office, passing her a second cup of coffee which she took with a grateful smile.

"Do you know about this?" She asked handing over a piece of paper with a garish, bright red letterhead. He quickly scanned the contents as his eyebrows shot up with surprise. The letter stated that House had been awarded 'Doctor of the Year' by a national newspaper which held an annual 'American Pride' awards ceremony. Ordinary citizens were recognised for the amazing deeds they had done. According to the awards committee, House was one of these amazing, ordinary citizens.

Wilson shook his head. "This is going to do wonders for his ego." He commented, chuckling with disbelief.

"Well I'm guessing that House doesn't either considering he doesn't read any of his mail." Cuddy added.

"You do know he has a phone in his office. You could call him and tell him the good news yourself." The smile from Wilson's face disappeared as he soon realised that Cuddy was in no mood for his smartass comments.

"That's not why I called you." She said sternly, as she went into full Dean of Medicine mode. It took Wilson a moment to understand what Cuddy meant before he jumped out of his seat, practically burning himself with hot coffee which had escaped from the paper cup.

"No way!" Wilson said emphatically, wagging his finger at her for extra effect.

"I have my cousin's wedding to go to that weekend. I can't get out of it." Wilson thought she didn't seem too upset at the thought of not accompanying House.

"I am _not_ babysitting House to make sure he picks up his award!" Wilson continued to protest.

"He has to go. The publicity will mean that the hospital will get a huge increase in donations." Cuddy looked at him expectantly. She knew how effective that argument was; the hospital always needed new medical equipment.

"He won't care about the good publicity or the award either." Wilson sat back down and pushed the letter back across the desk towards her.

"Andie nominated him before she died. She said that House had given more time to be with her mother."

"That is true." Wilson conceded. " But as far as he is concerned, Andie was the same as any of his other patients."

"Tell him he can have a week off Clinic duty." Cuddy replied in a calm, business-like manner.

"Is a whole week off the best you can do?" Wilson laughed outright at her offer.

"Are you negotiating on his behalf?!" Cuddy crossed her arms with a displeased expression on her face.

"I'm only preparing you for what he'll say to you." Wilson shrugged his shoulders. Cuddy could promise House the world and he still wouldn't obey her.

"If he doesn't want to go, tell him I'll fire you both." Cuddy wrote a brief note outlining her offer and attached it to the letter before passing it over to Wilson.

"Threatening to fire House doesn't really work." Wilson said when he saw the harsh red handwriting on the note.

"That's why I included you. I don't care how you make it happen, but he's going. It's a national newspaper with a televised ceremony." Cuddy stated.

"You're the boss." Wilson replied as he stood up.

"Yes, I am." Cuddy allowed herself a small smile as her mood thawed.

"Well, it was good knowing you." Wilson walked out of her office, cup of coffee in one hand and letter in the other. He spent the time it took to reach House's office to wonder when exactly House wrangling first became part of his job description.

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TBC


	2. Don't Shoot The Messenger

Chapter 2: Don't Shoot The Messenger

Wilson walked into House's darkened office to see him curled up on his chair near the door, doing his best impression of being asleep. Wilson wondered for a moment if House had spent the night at the hospital for his latest case, but he took one look at House's appearance and saw that he looked no worse than usual. Wilson realised that he simply went into work early for once, well early for him. Wilson tapped him on the shoulder, not stopping until House opened his eyes and glared at him.

"Hey, knock it off." House protested as he peeled a thin, grey woollen blanket off his body. "I couldn't sleep at home." House explained when he noticed the curious expression on Wilson's face.

"Don't shoot the messenger." Wilson simply said before bending down to press the letter against House's chest. House sat up and in one deft manoeuvre flipped the paper over to read it and swiped the cup of coffee out of Wilson's left hand. Wilson grinned smugly when House shuddered violently after taking a big gulp of the coffee and handed the cup back to him. He had soon figured out the only way to keep his coffee safe from House's clutches was to develop a taste for incredibly sweet coffee.

"You have got to be kidding me!" House exclaimed in disgust after he had read the letter.

"You're a regular, everyday hero, House. There's no escaping the fact." Wilson sat down on the empty footstool next to House.

"I _hate_ sentimental garbage like this." House continued.

"I know." Wilson sighed as he braced himself for an epic rant. He knew that House didn't need validation from other people, especially from people that didn't fully understand the lengths House had to go to save his patients' lives.

"It's completely ridiculous. A poor cancer kid has a few more months..."

"Andie had fourteen more months, House. She was around for her tenth birthday." Wilson interrupted. He had kept in touch with Andie to monitor her progress in her final months. Even if House wasn't interested in accolades, it had been his unrelenting determination to solve Andie's case that had extended her tragically short life.

"That's not the point. You were the one that held her hand. I just wanted to find where the clot was hiding." House shrugged his shoulders as if it had been a simple, boring case.

"No, I don't believe you." Wilson said quietly. Even though House had never spoken to him about it, he had seen the subtle change in House during and after Andie's case. House glanced across at him before he looked back down at the piece of paper.

"This is just about publicity." House quickly changed the subject. He didn't want Wilson calling him out on how much Andie had affected him. "Z-list celebrities hand out awards as if they really care about anyone, but themselves. The newspaper gets a two hour commercial. And some old woman cries on television while she tells us all about how she visits prisoners and changes their lives for the better. I'd rather stab my eyes with a pen."

"No, it sounds like lots of fun!" Wilson said dryly. "You'll have a fantastic time."

"Do I really have to go?" House whined even though he already knew the answer. He then ripped off Cuddy's note off the letter and scrunched it into a ball. He aimed for the trash can by his desk, but swore under his breath as it fell short of its target.

"I love my job." Wilson sniffed, jutting his bottom lip out and wiping away non-existent tears as if he was truly upset at the prospect of losing his job.

"She'd never actually fire you." House scoffed. They both knew it was an empty threat, but House also knew that Cuddy could make his working life very difficult if she wanted to.

Wilson then revealed his trump card. "I know it's not exactly the Nobel Prize, but it is a free trip to New York, House."

House's eyes lit up for a moment, but he quickly covered it with a grimace. "I'll have to wear a suit! And a tie!" He pouted at the supposed hardship of having to dress formally for once.

"Free. New York." Wilson repeated, knowing he had already won House over.

"You're going too, right?" House raised his eyebrows, eagerly waiting Wilson's response.

"Yes, House." Wilson answered as he stood up. "Don't worry, I'll be your date." Wilson patted House on the head, then broke out into a victorious grin as he left the office.

House knew Wilson was only teasing, but the words _'I'll be your date'_ echoed in his mind as House settled back into the chair and closed his eyes once again.


	3. Tag Team Wrestling

Chapter Three: Tag-Team Wrestling

House was in his kitchen when he heard a knock at the door. He thought that perhaps it was Wilson, bringing food with him under the Cuddy-sanctioned guise of shadowing his every move. But when he opened his door he was surprised to see Cuddy standing there instead. She was holding a black suit carrier and a pair of men's leather shoes. She smiled sheepishly at him. House was confused for a moment before he nodded in grudging admiration.

"Don't you have more important things to do? Like making a list of all the single men that'll be at your cousin's wedding?" House said in greeting.

"I can write the list during the flight." Cuddy retorted. "Here, take the tux. I have a taxi waiting to take me to the airport." House took the suit carrier and the shoes from her, placing them on the table near the door.

Cuddy knew that it was too much to hope that House would get a haircut or shave for the ceremony, but she knew that House was capable of doing something ridiculous like 'accidentally' driving over his dinner jacket so that he would be 'forced' to wear jeans and a loud garish t-shirt instead. She wasn't going to take any chances. Giving him a brand new tuxedo would preempt all the lame excuses House had no doubt already thought of.

"There is a shirt and tie with the suit. Do not ruin them or I will take what they cost from your salary." She warned.

"Yes, mom." Cuddy rolled her eyes at his comment before she took a step forward. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. House was too surprised to push her away and prevent her from hugging him.

"I'm proud of you." She said sincerely. He didn't know why she was suddenly being nice to him, but he wasn't going to let her think he'd tolerate it.

"Okay, that's enough." House loudly announced. He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder signalling that she should pull away.

"I want you to send me a photo of you with the award in your hand to prove you actually went to the ceremony." Cuddy added.

"It's amazing what you can do with computers nowadays. I've got a photo of me standing next to the Eiffel Tower, but I've never been there."

"House, I don't have time for this." She sighed as she looked at her watch.

"Wilson can send you the photo, okay?" He relented.

"Don't say or do anything too offensive during the acceptance speech." Cuddy called out as she headed to the cab.

"As if I would!" House replied. As he shut the door he realised he had not even thought of what he should include in the speech. He had been too busy complaining about having to go to the ceremony. He then picked up the bag and the shoes to store them away in his bedroom. He heard a knock on the door and grumbled under his breath that Cuddy was starting to really annoy him. He walked back to his front door to open it.

"Cuddy..." House's voice trailed off as he saw Wilson with a bag that looked as if it contained enough take-out food to last them for days.

"Your eyesight must be really bad." Wilson joked. House opened the door to let Wilson inside the apartment. Wilson took the bag into the kitchen and began to serve the rice and curry onto plates for the both of them.

"Where's the beer?" House asked as he peered into the take-out bag.

"I...forgot?" Wilson replied, clearly lying.

"What did she say to you?" House demanded.

"You're not allowed to have a hangover tomorrow." Wilson confessed.

"What did I do to deserve being tag-team wrestled by you and Cuddy?!" House objected.

"Anyone else would be pleased to be getting an award, House." Wilson couldn't help laughing at the look of dismay on House's face.

"Will they change their mind if I tell them I kill puppies and kittens for fun?"

"No, it's a done deal." Wilson took their plates to the living room. They sat down on the couch so that they could eat their meal. House then started to wonder why Wilson was really going along with Cuddy's orders.

"You don't have to go with me tomorrow if you don't want to." House suddenly felt nervous as he waited for Wilson's response. "I can send Cuddy a photo of me with the stupid award." He suggested.

"No, I don't mind, House. It might be fun. Well, New York will be fun. The last time we went to New York was..."

"...your last bachelor party." House interrupted. He only had vague memories of it. Somehow he had managed to get Wilson to the wedding in a reasonably fit state, although it had given Julie one more reason to hate him.

"Maybe we can find that bar we got thrown out of." Wilson suggested, smiling warmly as he recollected the colourful language House had used as he had left the bar.

"It was your 'singing' that got us thrown out." House reminded him.

"I don't remember." Wilson lied. His expression was the perfect picture of innocence which caused House to scoff with incredulity.

"Yeah, it'll be fun." House quietly added before continuing his meal. He was looking forward to the weekend now that he knew for certain that Wilson was going with him willingly.


	4. Don't Need To Say The Words

A/N: This is the final chapter.

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Chapter Four: Don't Need To Say The Words

House was reminded in stark detail why he had hated the idea of going to the awards ceremony as he walked up the red carpet. He had tried his best to look as anonymous as possible, but unfortunately for him, his cane was a bit of a giveaway. House didn't possess the patience or the fake humility to deal with being accosted by a particularly annoying newspaper journalist who had wanted to ask him inane, mindless questions for his article. He was clearly determined to get some profound, tear-jerking quotes from the brave doctor who had to struggle with his own disability while saving the lives of poor, helpless children. House rolled his eyes in disgust and then popped a Vicodin for the shock value. However when he saw he had only delighted the reporter even more, he promptly walked off in the opposite direction during the middle of the interview.

Wilson had been standing several steps away, far enough to hope that people would not think he was actually with House, but near enough to hear most of the conversation and to swoop in to apologise profusely for his friend's bad attitude.

"House!" Wilson whispered harshly as he caught up with him. "You can't get kicked out of here before the ceremony even starts!"

"I need a drink." House replied, ignoring Wilson completely. He knew the torturous boredom would be over in a few hours, but the only way he could get through it was to be inebriated.

House's awful mood only got worse by the time he and Wilson had entered the hall where the ceremony was being held. They were to be seated near the stage and of course there were cameras being set up close by which meant that House would have to be on his best behaviour at all times. They were shown to their seats by a timid looking production assistant. She looked ready to cry after she had answered House's question of where he could get something to drink. The poor terrified woman informed him that there wasn't any alcohol being served as the event was being broadcast with only a minimal time delay. House tried to storm out after letting his opinion be known on that decision, but was prevented from doing so by Wilson telling him what Cuddy would do to him if he left the ceremony early.

House managed to wait for the ceremony to start without causing Wilson any more embarrassment. Luckily for House, his award was to be handed out early on in the ceremony. Eventually it was his turn to collect his award. His face grew warm with embarrassment while the presenter explained why Andie had had chosen to nominate him. After the introduction was over, he walked to the front of the stage, choosing to take the steps instead of the ramp over at the far side of the stage even though it would be more painful and difficult for him. It was the quickest way of getting his award. He wanted the whole ordeal to be over as quickly as possible.

House stood at the podium and looked down at the etched glass statue that had his name engraved on it's base along with 'Doctor of the Year." He suddenly felt like a fraud, standing there in his tuxedo and his new leather shoes which were hurting his feet. He was a good doctor, brilliant even, but he felt as if he didn't deserve the praise. He didn't feel gratitude or pride, things he knew he should feel. He wanted to explain to the audience that it was only the mystery that attracted him to cases, but he knew they wouldn't understand. He shook away his thoughts as he focused on the speech he was about to make.

"First, I guess I must thank Andie. Because of her I have a motorbike." House said, not bothering to elaborate further. Wilson had guessed that it was Andie's influence which had led House to get the motorcycle. Even though he was scared that House would have a terrible accident one day, he knew it made House happy, being able to ride his bike and the freedom it gave him.

"Next, I have to thank Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. She was the one who hired me and has let me keep my job…several times." The audience laughed, thinking House was just joking, but Wilson knew the truth. Cuddy had risked her reputation for House when she had first hired him, but he had proved her right, he solved the cases no one else could.

"I also should thank my former team, Doctors Chase, Foreman and Cameron who also worked on Andie's case. I'm only going to say this since they aren't here. They were good doctors then, but better doctors now." Wilson rolled his eyes. It was typical of House to praise his fellows now that they no longer worked for him, but Wilson knew House was totally honest, often brutally so. He would never say it if he didn't mean it.

"Finally, thanks to my best friend Wilson…" House's eyes drifted across the audience as he spoke. He spotted Wilson looking up at him from his table. Wilson was smiling with such pride and joy for him. House was suddenly frozen; unable to speak. His mouth went dry as his courage deserted him. House managed to look away, back at the statue that was in his trembling hand. "…he knows why." House mumbled as he turned away from the podium and hurried off the stage as quickly as he could. The audience applauded assuming that House had finished his speech and the music started up again as the next presenter drifted on stage to hand out another award.

Wilson's gaze followed House as he walked down the ramp at the edge of the stage instead of going backstage. It took Wilson a moment to realise that House was actually leaving the room and not heading back to their table. He got up and rushed out of the room, briefly wondering if he would be caught leaving on one of the many television cameras that spanned the room.

Wilson headed for the nearest exit and saw a figure sitting on the steps that led to the parking lot at the back of the building. He sighed, a mixture of relief and annoyance washed over him as he saw a cane perched against the wall.

"House!" Wilson called out as he approached House. "I knew you didn't want to stick around, but you could have told me you were leaving!" He added, tapping House on the shoulder as he continued down the remaining steps. He turned around, puzzled to see House still sitting down, looking down towards his feet.

"Wilson, sit down." House said quietly, finally looking up at him.

"No, come on House!" Wilson exclaimed. "New York is our oyster!"

"Wilson, sit down." House repeated. Wilson eventually complied, joining him on the stairs.

"So?" Wilson coaxed. House studied Wilson's face for a several seconds, trying to work out whether he should say what was on his mind.

"You're not mad at me." House stated, amazement drifting over his features.

"Why should I be? As long as we can get drunk and celebrate your win tonight…"

"… about what I said. What I didn't say in my speech." House interrupted.

"I don't understand...wait, it's okay House. You don't have to say the words." Wilson said gently.

House used the wall to support himself as he struggled to his feet. He then picked up his cane, walked down the steps and turned around, just as Wilson had done moments before. Wilson stayed fixed to the spot, curious to know what House was going to say. House lifted the clear glass statue as if he was standing at the podium again. He made sure to look directly at Wilson this time. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Finally, most importantly, I have to thank Wilson. He's been my best friend for a really long time and is here with me tonight. I love him." He breathed out, sighing with relief. "I love you." House added. He nodded, grateful that he had another chance to say the words. He should've said them in front of the audience, on camera, but the only person that really mattered was sitting in front of him. Wilson stood up and joined House at the bottom of the stairs. He realised that he had needed to hear the words just as much as House had needed to say them.

House took a step forward and briefly pressed his lips against Wilson's. He had wanted to kiss him for such a long time, but he had been afraid to do so. Making the speech had given him the courage he needed. House moved away quickly, not giving Wilson time to react.

"Why did you do that?" Wilson asked, more than a little dazed when House stepped back.

"Just wanted to know what it felt like." House responded, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

"What did it feel like?" Wilson's voice was no more than a whisper. House didn't reply. He merely raised his eyebrows as if to challenge Wilson. It was up to him to make the next move. After a few seconds, Wilson made up his mind and leaned across, kissing House passionately. He waited until House responded and kissed him back with just as much intensity. It wasn't the most romantic of surroundings; standing in the parking lot, but neither of them cared. Wilson pulled away from House as he could feel himself quickly losing control. House seemed to understand as he smiled at Wilson.

"Let's go." House said as passed the statue to Wilson. House recalled the way Wilson had pushed him to take Andie's case in the first place, and urged him to keep trying his best to save her life. House knew the award didn't solely belong to him.

"I love you too, House." Wilson replied as he smiled back at him. House reached for Wilson's free hand and intertwined his fingers with Wilson's, feeling warm despite the cool Manhattan evening air swirling around them.

* * *

The end


End file.
